Department of Agriculture 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation into the continental United States of fresh shredded lettuce from Egypt. Based on this analysis, we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh shredded lettuce from Egypt. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Catastrophic Risk Protection Endorsement. The intended effect of this action is to clarify existing policy provisions and to incorporate changes that are consistent with those made in the Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions and to incorporate provisions regarding catastrophic risk protection coverage for area yield plans from the Group Risk Plan (GRP) of Insurance Basic Provisions. The proposed changes will be effective for the 2013 and succeeding crop years.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Rural Housing Service (RHS), the Rural Business- Cooperative Service (RBS), and Rural Utilities Service (RUS) intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of compliance with Civil Rights laws.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), invites comments on this information collection for which RUS intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

It has been determined by the NRCS State Conservationist for Virginia that changes must be made in the NRCS State Technical Guide specifically in the following practice standards: 328, Conservation Crop Rotation, 329, Residue and Tillage Management No Till/Strip Till/Direct Seed, 344, Residue Management, Seasonal, 345, Residue and Tillage Management Mulch Till, 346, Residue Management, Ridge Till, 391, Riparian Forest Buffer, 422, Hedgerow Planting, 472, Access Control, 595, Integrated Pest Management, 612, Tree/Shrub Establishment, and 666, Forest Stand Improvement. These practices will be used to plan and install conservation practices.

On January 25, 2011, the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) was published in the Federal Register (76 FR 4279-4281). From January, 2011 to June, 2011, six public meetings and workshops were held for the purposes of receiving comments and recommendations that would inform the development of a refined proposed action. As a result, the Forest Service is revising the NOI document, Federal Register of January 25, 2011 (76 FR 4279- 4281) to read as follows: Revision: The Forest Service is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) that proposes to conduct restoration activities on approximately 600,000 acres on the Coconino NF and Kaibab NF. Of this total, approximately 361,379 acres would be treated on the Coconino NF and 233,991 acres would be treated on the Kaibab NF. Restoration actions would be focused on the Flagstaff district with fewer acres included on the Mogollon Rim and Red Rock districts of the Coconino NF. On the Kaibab NF, activities would occur on the Williams and Tusayan districts. The objective of the project is to re-establish forest structure, pattern and composition, which will lead to increased forest resiliency and function. Resiliency increases the ability of the ponderosa pine forest to survive natural disturbances such as insect and disease, fire and climate change (FSM 2020.5). This project is expected to put the project area on a trajectory towards comprehensive, landscape-scale restoration with benefits that include improved vegetation biodiversity, wildlife habitat, soil productivity, and watershed function.

We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation into the continental United States of fresh papaya fruit from Malaysia. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh papaya fruit from Malaysia.

The Central Montana Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Stanford, Montana. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act (Pub. L. 110- 343) and in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose is to hold the first meeting of the newly formed committee.

The Juneau Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Juneau, AK. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 110-343) (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with the title II of the Act. The meeting is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to review project proposals.

The Wrangell-Petersburg Resource Advisory Committee will meet by video-teleconference in Wrangell, Alaska and Petersburg, Alaska. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L 110-343) (the Act) and in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with Title II of the Act. The meeting is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to review project proposals and make project funding recommendations.

This rule would increase the assessment rate established for the Texas Valley Citrus Committee (Committee) for the 2011-12 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.12 to $0.14 per 7/10-bushel carton or equivalent of oranges and grapefruit handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of oranges and grapefruit grown in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Assessments upon orange and grapefruit handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period begins August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The Gallatin National Forest's Gallatin Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Bozeman, Montana. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act (Pub. L. 110-343) and in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose is of the meeting is to review the status of project proposals, discuss and make final recommendations to the DFO and public comments.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App., the United States Department of Agriculture announces a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), this document announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget, for an extension of the currently approved information collection used to compile and generate the Federally Inspected Estimated Daily Slaughter Report.

The White Pine-Nye Resource Advisory Committee meeting scheduled in Eureka, Nevada has been cancelled. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act (Pub. L. 110-343) (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with the title II of the Act.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on proposed information collection. The proposed collection is a new collection for the purpose of conducting the Study of the Effectiveness of Efforts to Increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Among Medicare's Extra Help Population Pilot Projects.

This project proposes to treat areas newly infested by mountain pine beetles on approximately 325,000 acres of the Black Hills National Forest. Treatments would occur in both South Dakota and Wyoming, and on all four Ranger Districts. Treatments would be carried out within the scope of direction provided in the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for the Black Hills National Forest, as amended.

A draft report concerning U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Forest Service Native American Sacred Sites policies and procedures is available for review and comment at https:// www.fs.fed.us/spf/tribalrelations/sacredsites.

The Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Greybull, Wyoming. The committee is meeting as authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 110- 343) and in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose is to hold the fifth meeting and to vote on project proposals.

The Forest Service is amending its internal directives for special use authorizations and wildlife monitoring. The amendments provide direction and guidance specific to wind energy projects on National Forest System (NFS) lands. These amendments supplement, rather than supplant or duplicate, existing special use and wildlife directives to address issues specifically associated with siting, processing proposals and applications, and issuing special use permits for wind energy uses. The directives ensure consistent and adequate analyses for evaluating wind energy proposals and applications and issuing wind energy permits. Public comment was considered in development of the final directives, and a response to comments is included in this notice.

This final rule addresses recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) on November 5, 2009, and April 29, 2010. The recommendations addressed in this final rule pertain to the continued exemption (use) of 12 substances in organic production and handling. Consistent with the recommendations from the NOSB, this final rule continues the exemption (use) of 12 substances (along with any restrictive annotations) on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List).

The Southern New Mexico Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Socorro, New Mexico. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L 110-343) (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with the title II of the Act. The meeting is open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to review project proposals to be initiated with title II funds.